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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

w. MASON.

MACHINE FOR REDUCING AND FINISHING CARTRIDGE SHELLS. No. 463,403.Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

C 00 oo"o 9 e e e e ele lave/520w.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) 4

W. MASON. MACHINE FOR REDUCING AND FINISHING CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

Patented Nov. 17, 1891 JEUQICW' 4 SheetB Sheet a.

-(No Model.)

W. MASON.v MACHINE FOR REDUCING AND FINISHING CARTRIDGE SHELLS. v No.463,403. Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. MASON. v MACHINE FOR REDUCING AND FINISHING CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

No. 4 3,403. Patented N0v.'17, 1891;

. UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MASON, OF N E\V HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE 'WINCHESTERREPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

M ACH-INE FOR REDUCING AND FINISHING CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,403, dated November17, 1 891.

7 Application filed September 21, 1891. Serial No. 406,373. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MASON, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inMachines for Reducing and Finish ing Cartridge-Shells; andl do herebydeclare the following, when taken in connection with accompanyingdrawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawingsconstitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a front view of the machine, the upper portion being omittedas not essential to the invention; Fig. 2, a side view looking from theleft of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section through the slide cuttingon line a: w of Fig. 4.; Fig. 4, a top or plan view of the slide and a{portion of its guides; Fig." 5, a vertical transverse section cuttingon line y y of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a vertical central section cuttingthrough the two dies and showing the shell as between the dies; Fig. 7,a side view of the chuck, looking toward the end of the rib on the diskIV; Fig. S,a partial side View of the chuck, turned one-fourth aroundfrom Fig. 7.

and looking toward the end of the rib onthe head U; Fig. 9, a face Viewof the holder for the chuck. All the figures enlarged from Fig. 1.

This invention relates to an improvement in machines for sizing andfinally shaping and finishing cartridge cases or shells of the largerclass, the object of the invention being to bring the shells to aperfectly uniform size and shape externally and the invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of mechanism, as hereinafterdescribed, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the bed of the machine, and on which is arranged one part Bof the shaping and finishing die, this part being made stationary on thebed. Above the part B is a vertical slide C, carrying the other part Dof the die. To the slide C a vertical reciproeating movementis impartedbyeccentrics on the driving-shaft-E through connecting-rods F mountedthereonand in connection with the slide C, the slide being suitablyguided. The shaft E is supported in bearings G, and

" power is applied thereto through a pulley I-I with the axis of thedies.

or otherwise, and so that under the rotation of the shaft the verticalreciprocating movement will be imparted to the slide C and the die Dwhich it carries. The dies have a recess in their faces, as seen in Fig.6, which corresponds to the shape of thefinished cartridge-shell, therecess extending through from end to end of the dies, the length of thedies corresponding to the length of shell to be operated upon. Rapidreciprocating move ment is imparted to the die D, and the shell isintroduced from the larger open end of the dies and gradually inserted,and at the same time a rotative movement is imparted to the shell, sothat the dies operate thereon as hammers to gradually reduce the shell,and so that as the shell is advanced and finally brought to a positionentirely within the dies the exterior of the shell will conform to theshape of the dies from head to mouth, and all the shells so finishedwill be of a uniform shape and size.

To introduce the shell andat the same time impart to it the requiredrotative movement, a longitudinal slide I is arranged inasuitable guideJ, and so as to move in a path parallel Below the slide I is aleadingscrew K, which is hung at its outer end in a bracket L,projecting downward from the slide and so that the screw may revolvefreely therein, but without longitudinal movement independent of theslide I. The screw is parallel with the slide I, hnd runs through agroove M below the slide I, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5. In this groove ahalf-nut N is arranged, with which the screw may engage, the nut beingstationary. Hence a revolution imparted to the screw K will draw the nutforward or cause it to retreat, according to the direction in which thescrew is turned, and in such longitudinal movement of the screw acorresponding longitudinal movement will be imparted to the slide 1. Atits outer end the screw is provided with a beveled pinion O, and in thesame bracket is a transverse shaft P, carrying a like bevel-pinion Q,and the shaft P is provided with a crank R, by which the pinion. Q, isrotated, and thus the rotation of the crank R will impart acorresponding rotation to the screw K, so that by turning substantiallyaxial line with the die, and upon theinner end of this spindle T thechuck is arranged.

The chuck consists of a head U, made fast to the spindle, anddiametrically across the face of this chuck is a dovetail or undercutrib V, (see Fig. 8,) and 011 this rib a disk \V is arranged, so as toslide freely on said rib and p in a path diametrically across the headU. The disk W is constructed with a dovetail or undercut rib Xdiametrically across its face, as seen in Fig. 7, but at right angles tothe rib V, and on this rib X the holding part Y of the chuck is arrangedand so that it may slide upon the rib X as the disk \V does upon the ribV, thus giving to the two parts of the chuck combined a universaldiametrical or radial movement. On the face of the holder Y a pair ofjaws Z Zare arranged, which are adapted to receive the head of thecartridge shell, as seen in Figs. 4 and 6, a representing thecartridge-shell. The two diametrical or radially-moving parts IV Y arenormally supported in a central position by means of circumferentialsprings h, these springs being made fast to the head U.

In operation a rapid reciprocating movement is imparted to the movablepart of the die, the slide I is withdrawn, as represented in Figs. 1 and4, the cartridge is placed in position with its flange between the jawsZ Z, as seen in Fig. 4, and then a rotative movement is imparted to thescrew K, which gradually advances the cartridge between the dies. Therapid reciprocation of the dies causes them to operate as hammers uponthe surface of the shell. During this advance of the cartridge-shell arotative movement is imparted to the cartridge by means of acrank c onthe outer end of the spindle T. The rotation of the cartridge-shellshould be slow, but so that a constant change of position of the shellwill be produced with relation to the die. The cartridge is thusadvanced and rotated until its head is brought against the outer end ofthe die,when farther advance will be arrested;

but at this time the shell will have been reduced and shapedcorresponding to the shape and size of the interior of the dies.

It is to be understood that the shell is brought to an approximate sizeand shape before its introduction to this machine. The universaldiametrical or radial movement of the chuck permits it to adapt itselfat all times to the head of the shell, so that if any irregularities inthe shell should at any time throw the head end to an eccentricposition, as it frequently will do, the chuck accommodates itselfthereto; but in the final operation or completion of the work the shellwill be brought to a concentric position with relation to the dies, andtherefore to be straight and true with its own axis throughout. Afterthe work has been thus performed and the shell completed the shell maybe withdrawn by reverse movement of the screw to withdraw the slide andthe shell connected therewith; but that the withdrawal may be quicklymade and without the necessary return revolutions of the screw the nut Nis made as a part of or arranged upon the slide (Z, so that it may bemoved toward and from the screw, as indicated in broken lines, Fig.- 5.\Vhen thrown from the screw, as indicated in broken lines, the screw,with the slide I, may be freely with drawn without rotating the screw.To mechanically disengage the nut from the screw, a longitudinal slide eis arranged, and the slide (1 extends out beneath this slide e, and theslide 6 is constructed with a cam-shaped groove f, (see Fig. 4,) throughwhich a stud g on the slide cl extends, (see Figs. 4 and 5,) so that asthe slide 6 is moved in one direction it will force the slide d inwardto disengage the nut from the screw, or moved in the opposite directionwill draw the slide cl outward and bring the nut N into engagement withthe screw. That the operator may conveniently make this disengagement, apedal h is hung upon an axis '11, from which an arm extends up intoengagement with the slide e, as seen in Fig. 1, so that the operator,pressing his foot upon the pedal, may move the slide, so as to draw thenut into engagement with the screw, and when this is done the pedal maybe locked by a latch I, so that the nut will be locked during the workupon the cartridge-shell, and when that 'work is performed bydisengaging the latch the slide e will be returned by the action of aspring m,-so as to throw the nut out of engagement with the screw topermit the withdrawal of the slide I.

\Vhile I prefer to employ the leading-screw K as a means for advancingthe cartridgeshell between the dies, it will be evident that the screwmay be dispensed with and theroperator advance the cartridge by hand.

I claim- 1. In a machine for shaping cartridge-shells, the combinationof a die composed of two parts, one part stationary and the other reciprocating,the two parts having in their adjacent faces cavities which,combined, correspond to the shape of the finished shell, the dies openat the head end, a slide arranged in guides parallel with the axis ofsaid dies, mechanism substantially such as described to impartlongitudinal movement to said slide, and a rotative chuck arranged insaid slide and in substantially axial line with said dies, the saidchuck provided with jaws to engage the head of the cartridge,substantially as described.

2. Ina machine for shaping cartridge-shells, the combination of a diecomposed of two parts, one part stationary and the other reciprocating,the two parts having in their ad jacent faces cavities which, combined,correspond to the shape of the finished shell, the dies open at the headend, a slide arranged in guides parallel with the axis of said dies, arotative spindle arranged in the outer end of said slide and in axialline with the axis of said dies, a head upon the inner end of said'spindle, constructed witha diametrical undercut guide on its face side,a disk arranged upon the said head-guide, the said disk constructed withan undercut guide diametrically across its face, but at right angles tothe guide on the head, and a holder arranged on said guide of the disk,the holder provided on its face with jaws adapted to en gage the head ofthe cartridge-shell to be operated upon,with springs arranged to supportthe said disk and holder normally in a concentric position with thehead, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for shaping cartridge-shells, the combination of a diecomposed of two parts, one part stationary and the other reciprocating,the two parts having in their adjacent faces cavities which, "combined,correspond to the shape of the finished shell, the dies open at the headend, a slide arranged in guides parallel with the axis of said dies, arotative chuck arranged in the outer end of said slide-in axial linewith the dies and adapted to engage the head of the cartridge shell, ascrew having its outer end hung at the outer end of said slide and so asto reand a nut through which the said screw may run, substantially asdescribed, whereby rotation of the said screw will produce the advancemovement of said slide. 1

4. In a machine for shaping cartridge-shells, the combination of a diecomposed of two parts, one part stationary and the other reciprocating,the two parts having in their ad jacent faces cavities which, combined,correspond to the shape of the finished she1l,.the dies open at the headend, a longitudinallyguided slide I,the slide carrying-a rotative chuckat its outer end in axial line with said dies, the said chuck beingadapted to engage the head of the cartridge, a screw K, parallel withthe slide I, hung by its outer end to the outer end of said slide and soas to revolve freely therein, but without longitudinal movementindependent of said slide, a half-nut N,

arranged in the path of said screw and upon a transverse slide d, thesaid slide (1 extending outward, a longitudinal slide 6, con-;

structed with a cam-shaped slot f, the stud g,

projecting from said slide cl into the said slot fiand meanssubstantially such as described to impart longitudinal movement to saidslide e, substantially as and for the scribed. V

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

purpose de- Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, A. W. EARLE.

WILLIAM MASON. i

